Technical Program Manager (TPM)
Salary

Salaries for Technical Program Managers in the United States are generous, with average pay above six figures ($115K) per year. Including potential for bonuses and profit sharing — peaking near $24K and $22K, respectively — total cash payment to Technical Program Managers can bottom out near $80K or peak near $162K depending on individual performance. This group's pay is mainly influenced by the specific employer, followed by geography and experience level. Male Technical Program Managers are far more common among survey respondents than their female counterparts, who typically comprise less than one-third of the field. In this profession, nearly all enjoy medical and dental coverage, and most have vision insurance, as well. The majority of Technical Program Managers claim high levels of job satisfaction. The data for this synopsis comes from respondents who took the PayScale salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Find Out Exactly What You Should Be Paid

Job Description for Technical Program Manager (TPM)

Technical program managers (TPMs) are in charge of handling all aspects of technical projects for their organization. They are responsible for initiating programs, following their progress, and serving as support providers in case issues arise. They coordinate efforts among workers and outside vendors, as well as develop effective schedules and suggest action items that still need to be complete to successfully complete the project.

In addition to these tasks, technical project managers track technical issues and implement solutions in a prompt manner. They must effectively communicate project status and suggest changes to use company resources more efficiently. Technical project managers propose solutions to technical constraints using their technical expertise and experience, as well as provide expertise for escalated quality problems, and anticipate bottlenecks in the development cycle. Additionally, technical project managers identify technical impacts on the organization as they relate to business requirements. They define strategies, regularly participate in executive meetings to present their progress, and share project information with other professionals in their organization.

A bachelor's degree in administration, business, management, or a related field is needed for this position. Previous experience in a similar technical position can be helpful. Additional leadership or management certifications are a plus. Technical project managers must also be problem solvers with excellent leadership skills who can motivate the employees to reach all company objectives. They must work effectively on their own, as well as in a team settings with other managers.

Technical Program Manager (TPM) Tasks

Provide technical leadership, but not line management of cross functional teams.

Technical Program Manager (TPM) Job Listings

Search for more jobs:

Job Title/Company

Location

Popular Employer Salaries for Technical Program Manager (TPM)

Amazon.com Inc, Apple Computer, Inc, Google, Inc., Microsoft Corp, and EMC Corporation are among the top companies that take on many Technical Program Managers. Apple Computer, Inc does shell out the biggest paychecks — the median in that office is $161K — but the company pay scale is greatly mixed, meaning that workers on the low end may earn only $102K while workers on the upper end may rake in up to $193K.

Offering only $98K on average, EMC Corporation seems to pay the least. Moreover, the pay scale seems pretty narrow there; employees make $79K on the lower end and $145K on the higher end.

Popular Skills for Technical Program Manager (TPM)

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Survey takers working as Technical Program Managers report using a large range of professional skills. Most notably, skills in Java, Agile, Software Architecture, and SQL are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts between 8 percent and 15 percent. Skills that are correlated to lower pay, on the other hand, include Customer Relationship Management, Software Development Lifecycle, and Software Development. The majority of those who know Program Management also know Product Development.

Pay by Experience Level for Technical Program Manager (TPM)

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

Experience does not seem to be a strong driver of pay increase in this role. Salaries for the relatively untried average out to around $101K, but survey participants with five to 10 years of experience earn a significantly higher median of $118K. On average, Technical Program Managers make $129K following one to two decades on the job. Individuals who have achieved more than 20 years of experience don't seem to earn much more than people who have 10 to 20 years under their belts; the more senior group reports an average income of $136K.

Pay Difference by Location

Washington is home to an above-average pay rate for Technical Program Managers, 20 percent higher than the national average. Technical Program Managers can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like New York (+19 percent), Mountain View (+18 percent), San Francisco (+17 percent), and San Jose (+14 percent). The lowest-paying market is Redmond, which sits 15 percent below the national average. Below-median salaries also turn up in Atlanta and Bellevue (13 percent lower and 12 percent lower, respectively).